PALLINUP SOLDIER SETTLEMENT

Tommy Stewart wrote to the Lands Department and this is the reply that he received.  It was published in the Western Mail 3 Aug 1923 and the Gnowangerup Star.

Soldier Settlement. — The following statistics respecting soldier settlement were made available in the Legislative Council yesterday by the Minister for Education (Mr. Ewing), in reply to questions by Mr. Stewart: — Applicants for land, 8,116; applicants granted land qualification certificates, 6,608; applications rejected, 516; applications deferred, 095; soldiers settled, 4,910; applicants to whom loans have been granted, 4,910; average expenditure per soldier settler) £1,120 (including expenditure on land not yet settled).
 

Tommy Stewart endeavored to help returned soldiers receive land at a reduced price which was promised to soldiers when they joined the war effort in World War I. Tommy was also acting in his position the first secretary of the local RSL. (And he wanted some land himself! Although he and his brother Sam had bought land at Kwobrup, it was not sufficient for two men to raise families on)

He continued with his efforts and 23 soldiers were eventually settled at Pallinup Soldier Settlement. Tommy, as he was known, was a qualified fraught man and had received a good education in Leith,Scotland before he emigrated. He had beautiful copperplate handwriting, and was a great communicator. (Very witty and a great sense of humour, which comes though in some of his letters!)

Tommy also continued to be the secretary for the group, regularly writing to government departments to seek assistance in the form of advice and finance.

One particular issue that he fought long and hard for was for the soldiers who ended up on land that was becoming salt.

This obviously affected their ability to produce enough income on the land they had been granted.

Most farms were less than 1000 acres and we’re already too small to make a viable living.

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References:                 Article:      Tommy Stewart

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Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2023